About Us

The Yale Depression Research Program is comprised of a basic science laboratory, which attempts to examine the processes that lead to depression, focusing on understanding how stress contributes to changes in brain function; a clinical laboratory, which employs medical imaging techniques and pharmacological challenge paradigms to identify functional abnormalities in individuals suffering from mood disorders; and a research clinic, which examines the efficacy and safety of novel, experimental antidepressant treatments in human subjects.
The mission of the Yale Depression Research Program is to develop, advance, and disseminate transformative diagnostic and treatment approaches to improve the lives of individuals suffering from mood disorders. To that end, we seek to engage in clinical research that could meaningfully improve clinical care. We aim to provide outstanding educational opportunities, fostering the development of future leaders in the study and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, as well as for practicing clinicians wishing to expand their expertise in emerging evidence-based treatment approaches. Most importantly, we strive to achieve these goals while providing the highest quality of care and respect for the patients/subjects aiding us in this discovery process.
Yale Depression Research Program Faculty & Staff
Clinical Program Faculty & Staff
Gerard Sanacora, PhD, MD
Principal Investigator
George D. and Esther S. Gross Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Yale Depression Research Program
Co-Director, Yale New Haven Hospital Interventional Psychiatry Service
Robert Ostroff, MD
Medical Director Mood Disorders Unit Yale Psychiatric hospital
Co-Medical director Interventional Psychiatry Service Yale Psychiatric hospital
Basic Research Faculty & Staff
Gerard Sanacora, PhD, MD
Principal Investigator
George D. and Esther S. Gross Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Yale Depression Research Program
Co-Director, Yale New Haven Hospital Interventional Psychiatry Service
Affiliated Faculty & Staff
Chadi Abdallah, MD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Deputy Director for Research, and Director of Neuroimaging, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA National Center for PTSD
Gustavo Angarita-Africano, MD
Associate Research Scientist
Inpatient Chief of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU), Psychiatry
Medical Director, Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic (ForDD)
Michael Bloch, MD, MS
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center
Associate Director, Albert J. Solnit Integrated Training Program
Associate Director of the Tic and OCD Program
Irina Esterlis, PhD
Associate Professor Term
Director, Molecular Imaging Program, NCPTSD, VA
Director, Mood, Anxiety, and Cognitive Sciences Division